Ice Angel
by Mysteriol
Summary: He loves watching her dance. And the best part of it. . .he knows, she knows he's watching. [Namixas AU]


Ice Angel

Namixas AU. He loves watching her dance. And the best part of it. . .he knows, she knows he's watching.

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a/n:

Strangely this fic is in present tense. Once again, I'll reiterate it's an AU fic. And beware of the sap, don't say you haven't been warned.

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He loves watching her dance on the ice.

He can sit for hours, on the same bench, unmoving, simply content to sip on his Coke while his eyes follow every bit of her movement. He's become a permanent resident among the vacant seats filled with a non-existent audience now; the best seat in the house. He's made sure of that.

It's where he catches the best view of her.

He doesn't even realize when he starts drinking mindlessly from an empty Coke can, or that somewhere afar the clock signals the time for curfew to begin. It's midnight, but she's still here, on the ice, and that's all the matters.

He sits, affixed, in a mesmerized trance.

She continues to glide up and down the ice, her grace and flexibility - as she leaps through the air and lands as smoothly as she first jumped – stands undisputed to all. Her platinum blond locks loosen from her ponytail, and falls around her shoulders like cascading waterfall at the same time her skates touch the ice.

Roxas remembers to breathe. No wonder they call her the angel of ice.

She bends to pick up her hairtie, deftly twisting her hair into a neat bun again, before readying herself for the next leap.

That's when she turns, accidentally, but just in time to catch him among the benches.

As a trained athlete, Namine has learnt all the skills to conceal any emotions when performing on ice. Anxiety, lack of confidence, awkwardness, fear – all of that has to be curbed through a façade of tightly grim set of lips no matter what.

She could have done that at that moment, when their eyes meet.

…But she isn't exactly made of ice, even though most label that her element.

Especially not at this late hour, when she's thoroughly exhausted, her physical _and _emotional defenses crumbling, and the sight of her favorite person right across the huge, otherwise empty ice arena, simply melts her into mush.

Immediately, her façade disappears, and in place, a strange, uncharacteristic goofy smile threatens to spill across her lips – one she so abashedly quickly tries to hide in embarrassment by tilting her head sideways and finding her skates suddenly very interesting.

She dares to glance up, just a bit, in time to catch Roxas throwing her a wave, and having a most ridiculous huge grin on his face.

He doesn't even have to say her name, or even a "Good evening, Namine!", and he has her just by his smile. Every part of her.

She lets slip a small giggle from her lips, as he skillfully balances his beloved Blitzball against his index finger and spins it around and around. She knows it's his way of "serenading" her, as the first time he did when he asked her to go out with him on their first date.

In their language, she translates that movement to, "Do you want to come out of your skates and get to my side now?"

He complements that move with a slick, purposeful brush of hand across his blonde hair, and it makes her laugh this time. Her laughter sounds like silver bells to his ears, and he longs for her to quickly make her way out of that icy dome into his arms.

He stands up, empty Coke can forgotten by his side.

In that same moment, she skates closer towards him, but is stopped by the barrier that encircles the entire ice rink.

He breaks into a slow jog down the stairs, until their distance closes just a bit more, and instantly he finds his face against hers, pressed up against the glass wall of the rink that separates them.

She is smiling so brightly, as she lifts a palm up and presses it against the glass. Her breath comes out icy, and he can see the puffs of air that elicits from her lips.

Her tired eyes make his heart aches, as did the few new bruises he notices on her arms as he scans the rest of her body thoroughly. The skating leotard she wears probably covers a lot more scars than she intends to show him; nevertheless she knows how much he over-worries.

Their eyes meet.

"Ready to come out of the rink now, my ice angel?" A question.

He doesn't even have to ask.

He twists the Blitzball with his finger once more.

In that instant, he snares her heart to his and entangles it there.

She's entirely in awe of the way he makes her feel. Strange; here in this icy rink and she feels as warm as a…a cup of hot chocolate. Cheesy as it sounds, but true.

He puts a palm against hers, but their fingers do not touch. He blames the rink glass barrier for their distance. He lowers his forehead, so it touches the glass. His eyes bear into hers.

Their closeness makes her giggle one more time, and she swears if his grin widen a few more inches, he will look extremely ridiculous and hilarious.

"Ready when you are." She murmurs, and follows likewise by pressing her forehead against the glass, so they are almost skin to skin, wedged by a barricade.

She proceeds to skate off into the distance for the changing room. She will get out of those skates in no time, and be by his side, very soon.

In those quick minutes while tearing away on her tight leotard, pulling off her skates, breathing in the sudden freedom of her body from those too-tight clothes that she's been wearing almost the whole afternoon, loosening her hair…Namine doesn't recall anything more refreshing, more comforting, more _at home, _then when she feels a pair of arms snake around her small waist and catches her by surprise.

She breathes, and leans in to those familiar arms.

She doesn't say anything, although she much very want to murmur something along the lines of "I've missed you."

He knows it all too well, anyway.

So she simply settles for a soft, "Hello, Roxas."

He doesn't reply, and she's all too content as he dips his head and bends down to trail his mouth slowly down her neck ; the way he knows she likes it best.

"Let's get out of here." He murmurs into her hair.

She doesn't even have the time to reply, for the last thing she sees as she turns around is his mouth as it descends against hers and capture them into a kiss, as swiftly as the wind.

Here, away from the icy rink she deems her familiar sanctuary and the only place she feels safe...

Strangely, in his arms, _this_ feels a lot like home.

**FIN **

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GURRRR THE MUSHHHHH THE SAPPPPP. I SWEAR I have cavities growing from my mouth now and I need a great rinse to cleanse the sugar off.

Still, I hoped you enjoyed some of it anyway, and review to make me feel like a…cup of hot chocolate, too!

Xoxoxo

Myst-san


End file.
